Semi-open fluid jet VTOL aircraft

ABSTRACT

A wingless compact aircraft, with a limited footprint and no exposed high-speed moving parts. The aircraft can takeoff and land vertically, can fly at high-speed and even cruise on land and water in one of the preferred embodiments.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to flying method and apparatus for devicesheavier than air and capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL),with extended application to any kind of fluid (e.g. water), by using acontrolled fluid flow around and inside of a wing-shaped body.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The system of flowing gases on an open surface for producing verticalthrust has been used in the past for generating lift or enhancing thelift produced by wings.

In a more general idea, the main physical phenomena used to create liftare conservation of momentum (CM), Bernoulli law (BL), Coand{hacek over(a)} effect (CE) and ground effect (GE).

The main flying methods used or proposed in the past can be classifiedin five categories: rockets (a) that are based on (CM); airplanes orwinged devices (b) that are in popular references based on (BL) forlift, although more accurate explanations prefer the vorticity (CM) asthe cause of the lift over the Bernoulli effect; helicopters (c) thatuse primarily (CM); hovercrafts and lift platforms (d) that use (GE) asthe main lift source; open lifting surface aircrafts (e) that use (BL)and (CE) for achieving lift.

While rockets are suitable mostly for one-time flight, with mainlymilitary and space applications, airplanes and helicopters have becomepopular transportations means; however there are several drawbacks thathave kept them from becoming more universally accessible, e.g. in acar-like manner.

Both airplanes and helicopters necessitate highly trained pilots andhave big footprint in comparison with the useful cabin space—big wingsand tail for airplanes, big propeller and boom tail for helicopters.Both airplanes and helicopters have high speed moving exposed propellerblades, and in some cases high speed hot gas jets when jet engines areused. In the case of airplanes a long takeoff run is necessary, bringingthe need for well built and maintained airports.

Hovercrafts have had some commercial success in the latest decades, frommilitary applications to toys; while their shape and footprint are muchcloser to those of a car, they are still lacking the flexibility and thecommercial accessibility of the car and the risk of exposed propellersis still present.

Some open surface aircrafts have been proposed in the past and somerecently RC (radio controlled) prototype level demonstrations have beenmade; while the footprint is compact and the exposure to high speedmoving parts is reduced, the maneuverability is also reduced and theavailable payload room is small; furthermore, the shape of theseaircrafts is circular, flying saucer like, not practical.

In conclusion, a compact shaped aircraft is the subject of thisinvention, with VTOL capability and with maximized payload room, easy tocontrol by ordinary skilled people. All these are achieved without anyexposed high speed moving parts and with reduced energy consumption.

PRIOR ART

Most of the known flying methods are a combinations of one or more ofthe physical phenomena (CM), (BL), (CE) and (GE), resulting in aircraftsthat combine one or more of the (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) solutions.FIG. 1 presents the main concept of an airplane, where a wing 1A isattached to a body 1B that is moved by a propeller 1C. The propellerneeds to continually accelerate a huge mass of air in order to exertenough thrust for maintaining the speed V of the airplane, speed that isneeded to create lift across the wing 1A.

Considering vorticity (CM) as the source of the wing lift, the airplanespeed is used for creating the lift across the wing, as a fraction ofthe used energy creates a down-push D of the surrounding air, down-pushthat is balanced by an up-push of the wing, which generates the lift L.Increasing the lift of the wing is a complicated engineering work,because the drag force DF of the wing increases at the same time withthe lift force of the wing. Hence an optimum combination between highairplane speed and wing profile and surface is necessary for flying,condition that varies a lot during takeoff, landing and cruising.

An enhancement of the traditional airplane wing lifting capability canbe achieved based on (BL) and (CE) by controlling the fluid flow on thetop of the wing, as proposed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,447,028, 6,926,229 and7,823,840. Following this hybrid concept, a more active solution isproposed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,117, where horizontal flying and VTOLcapability are proposed.

The helicopter propeller is producing vertical thrust L (lift) in thesame way the airplane propeller is producing horizontal thrust. FIG. 2shows the main concept of a helicopter, were the propeller 2A isproviding lift (L) to the body 2B by applying a down trust (D) to theair, as conservation of momentum (CM) states. The stability of theaircraft requires a counter-momentum tail propeller 2C, and variablepitch blades for propeller 2A when moving horizontally, which bringslimitation at high speed.

Multi-propeller helicopters have proved increased stability andmaneuverability, the four-propeller concept being proposed in U.S. Pat.No. 3,873,049 and a variation in the more recent U.S. Pat. No.7,857,253, where the ducted fans reduce the risk of injury due to fastmoving blades. The advancement in battery technologies and digitalcontrol has made the RC aircrafts of four-propeller helicopter type(also known as quad-copter) a popular toy and a practical drone forcommercial applications. The big footprint and the danger of exposedhigh speed moving blades limit their applicability for transport ofpersons.

Reducing the risk of exposed propeller and improving the high speedcapability of the helicopters have led to the enclosed propellerapproach as proposed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,064,143 and 6,834,829, whileU.S. Pat. No. 6,050,520 replaces the propeller with a ducted fun. Theresulting aircrafts are shaped more like a flying saucer and fail toreduce the footprint of the aircraft.

Combinations of circular wings and helicopter propeller or fan have beenproposed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,503,351 and 6,450,446, both with VTOLcapability but still having big footprint and exposed fast moving parts.

A hybrid combination of helicopter-like operation for takeoff andlanding and an airplane cruising operation at high-speed has beenproposed in mid 1960s by X-19 concept aircraft that introduces theconcept of Tilt-rotor, and later-on the hybrid concept has been realizedsuccessfully in late 1980s by MV-22 Osprey (US Marine Corps). FIG. 3describes MV-22 hybrid solution where two propeller propulsion systems3A (tilt-rotors) are placed at each end of an airplane wings 3B, withcapability to rotate such way that they are in an horizontal position inreference to the wings 3B and aircraft body 3C during takeoff andlanding (developing lift in an helicopter-like manner) and they are in avertical position during cruising, generating direct horizontal thrustand indirectly lift (airplane-like flight for cruising). More recentaircrafts have build on the success of MV-22, one example being AW609aircraft in early 2000s.

Hovercrafts and lift platforms can be enhanced by (BL) and (CE)phenomena as presented in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,082,478, 6,616,094 and7,581,608, with main focus on efficiency and stability.

Fluid jet blowing on open surface flying methods come with a circularshape, most common refer to as saucer. They require a combination of(CM), (BL) and (CE) phenomena for achieving lift and they are VTOLaircrafts with yet to be determined horizontal flying (cruising)performances and major issues of stability. An early solution isproposed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,276,723, where a ducted fun is provingvertical thrust. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,819 a non-rotating center bodyis combined with a rotating outer body, resulting in an impracticalflying saucer-like solution.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,713 introduces an spheroidal body that obtains liftfrom the fluid jets flowing on its upper surface. Following the samemethod, U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,036 shows a centrifugal airflow from thecenter of the circular aircraft creating lift on the upper surface. U.S.Pat. No. 7,857,256 improves on the method by maximizing the (CE)phenomena for a better lift.

All the prior art solutions fell short of providing a practical compactshaped aircraft, with VTOL capability and with maximized payload room,easy to control by ordinary skilled people. Such flying device is highlydesirable for mass utilization and the present invention provides aneffective solution.

It is critical to emphasize the better efficiency of the airplane flightover the helicopter flight, supported by historical facts and themechanics of flight. Historically both ways of flight have beenconceptually studied as far as 15th century by renowned renaissancefigure Leonardo Da Vinci. At the beginning of 20th century first enginepowered airplane flight has been successful using the early low powerengines available at the time. Only few decades later successfulhelicopter flight was possible based of much powerful engines availablein mid 20th century.

The mechanics of flight are based on Newton's laws that describe thethrust T of a propulsion system as being given by the equation (1)T=v(dm/dt), where v is the velocity of the fluid and dm/dt is thederivative of the expelled mas of fluid. Because the lift L is thevertical trust developed by an aircraft, and it follows a similarequation based on the vertical speed v_(v), applied to the surroundingfluid (2) L=v_(v)(dm/dt), one can see that the same lift can be obtainedby moving a small quantity of fluid at high speed or by moving a bigquantity of fluid at low speed. For airplanes, where the wing area isthe main contributor to the air down-movement D that generates lift, itis a practical fact that low-speed moving airplanes have a biggerrelative wing area than the high-speed moving airplanes. At thebeginning of aviation, successful airplane solutions used multi-wingsdesigns to increase the effective area of the wing, with bi-planeairplane being the most known of them.

There is a second factor that governs the generation of thrust, and thatis the power P required by the propulsion system. That can be describedby equation (3) P=Tv, which leads to (4) P=v²(dm/dt). For the same trustT generated by a propulsion system, a smaller power is required when abigger quantity of fluid is moved at a lower speed v. This improvedefficiency is reflected in practical designs of modern aviation, withexamples as helicopter propeller blades having bigger relative surface,or making use of multiple propellers to increase the effective volume ofair that can be moved (case of quad-copters and other multi-propellersolutions), or the highly efficient design of turbo-engines used inmodern aviation.

A third critical factor related to the speed of movement to beconsidered is the drag force DF, force that is acting on any object inrelative movement to a fluid medium. For a practical high-speed levelexpected for an aircraft, the drag forced can be described by aquadratic equation (5) DF˜v² and the power required to overcome the dragby a cubic equation (6) DP˜v³. Moving slower is more efficient forpractical aviation, requiring a smaller power to generate the horizontalmovement and the lift of the aircraft.

It is important to point out that for a wing providing lift to anaircraft, the action of the wing topside towards the surrounding fluidis the dominant factor in achieving lift, while the action of thebottom-side has a secondary contribution. This is a consequence of thefluid viscosity. The control of the fluid flow on the critical side ofthe wing can improve the lift efficiency, as presented by U.S. Pat. No.4,630,997 with application to naval sailing.

BRIEF SUMARY OF THE INVENTION

As presented in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 related to airplane and helicopterways of obtaining lift, the airflow generated by the thrust propeller orpropellers is used for directly or indirectly creating lift (verticalmovement) and providing cruising flight (horizontal movement). Thecurrent invention (hereby referred as FlyCar) is building on the provenbenefits of the hybrid solution described in FIG. 3 , a combination ofthe VTOL capabilities of helicopter and the efficient cruising flight ofthe airplane at high-speed (also known in prior art as transition-modeaircraft).

It is the subject of the current invention to introduce a compactaircraft, with limited footprint and no exposed high-speed moving parts,with an aerodynamic car-like wing-body (FlyCar), with no large wings andproducing lift mainly from its body, as what in prior art is alsoreferred as a lifting-body. A multi-propulsion system is built inside ofthe aircraft body, with a preferable, but not limited to, four suchindependent systems placed in a Front-left, Front-right, Back-left andBack-right configuration, in such way that the main cabin in centralarea of the body is dedicated to the passengers and pay-load. Thepropulsion system can be of various forms, not limited to propellers,tilt-rotors, ducted fans, jet engines, and blowers (centrifugal fans) aslong it is embedded into the aircraft body and it has the capability ofchanging its thrust direction from vertical to horizontal direction.

Furthermore a critical innovative design feature is used in the presentinvention by controlling the airflow on areas of topside of the aircraftand bottom side of the aircraft, airflow control that is achieved bymeans of slots in the upper side of the lifting-body and openings forthe bottom side, corresponding to each individual propulsion system. Fortakeoff and landing a vertical airflow is controlled from top to bottomof the aircraft body, as shown in FIG. 9A, with the air being absorbedfrom the top side through the upper side slots and expelled to thebottom side of the aircraft body through the bottom side openings. As aresult the FlyCar achieves a quad-copter like operation with VTOL andlow-speed hovering capabilities, with high maneuverability and smallarea needed for landing and takeoff.

For high-speed flying (cruising) the thrust of the propulsion systems ischanged primarily to horizontal direction, the aircraft operating as alifting-body (FIG. 9B). The drag of the FlyCar aircraft and itsaerodynamics are greatly improved by the fact that a part of the upwhashair flow on the front of the body is redirected inside and downwards bythe front propulsion systems, while part of the downwash air flowing onthe top of the body is redirected inside and downwards by the backpropulsion systems. An end flap and flaperons system is added to theback of the lifting-body to enhance the overall body lifting area andcontribute to the control for Pitch, Roll and Yaw of the FlyCar duringhigh-speed cruising flight. The body of the FlyCar aircraft operates asan effective wing (lifting-body) with enhanced airflow control andembedded internal propulsion system.

In one of the preferred embodiments of the invention, capability foron-land and on-water movement is added to the FlyCar aircraft by theaddition of a retractable hovercraft skirt (FIG. 13 ). By making use ofthe same propulsion system of the FlyCar, travel capabilities of ahovercraft for road, off-road and water are combined with the airbornepower of the aircraft. As a result, an all-medium vehicle is achieved,with land, water and air transportation capability for both low andhigh-speed movement.

The driver and passenger seats, storage space and fuel reserves areplaced in a car-like fashion, with all comfort and accessibility that itprovides. Today's digital control and software advances, combined withgyroscopic guiding, motion sensing, GPS, sonar, radar and optic sensorsgive the proven ability of automatic vertical takeoff and landing forthe herein aircraft and the capability of an easy driving byordinary-skilled people. Furthermore self-driving capability is apossibility, with much more ease in air flight than on road constrainedcar environment. While not limited to, it is one of the main goals ofthe present inventions to make use of electric power for propulsion, asa direct generational progress in the aviation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The described embodiments and the advantages thereof may best beunderstood by reference to the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is understood that thesedrawings in no way limit any changes in form and detail that may be madeto the described embodiments by one skilled in the art without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the described embodiments.

FIG. 1 is the side view of an airplane in flight, as known in prior art.

FIG. 2 is the side view of a helicopter in flight, as known in priorart.

FIG. 3 presents the side and front views of a tilt-rotor aircraft, asknown in prior art.

FIG. 4A, 4B, 4C show the front and side views of a ducted fan withtilting capability, while FIG. 4D show an horizontal cross-section ofthe same ducted fan used as propulsion system in one of the embodimentsof the invention.

FIG. 5A is the front view of a blower (centrifugal fan) with tiltingcapability, while FIG. 5B and FIG. 5C are side cross-sections of thesame blower used as propulsion system in one of the embodiments of theinvention.

FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D are the side view, top view, back view and frontview of the first preferred embodiment of the invention in VTOL mode.

FIG. 7A is the side view of the first preferred embodiment of theinvention, and FIG. 7B is a horizontal cross-section of the same firstembodiment in VTOL mode.

FIG. 8A is the front view of the first preferred embodiment of theFlyCar aircraft, with FIG. 8B showing a vertical cross-section of thesame first embodiment of the invention in VTOL mode.

FIG. 9A is the side operational view of the first preferred embodimentof the FlyCar invention during VTOL mode, with FIG. 9B showing the sideoperational view during the high-speed flying mode for the firstpreferred embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 10A, 10B, 10C and 10D are the side view, top view, back view andfront view of the first preferred embodiment of the invention inhigh-speed flying mode.

FIG. 11A is the front view of the first preferred embodiment of theinvention, and FIG. 11B is a horizontal cross-section of the same firstembodiment in high-speed flying mode.

FIG. 12 is the operational view during the high-speed flying for thefirst preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 13A, 13B, 13C and 13D are the side view, top view, back view andfront view of the second preferred embodiment of the invention inhovercraft mode.

FIG. 14A is the front view of the second preferred embodiment of theinvention, and FIG. 14B is a vertical cross-section of the same secondembodiment in hovercraft mode.

FIG. 15 is the operational view during the hovercraft mode for thesecond preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 16A, 16B, 16C and 16D are the side view, top view, back view andfront view of the third preferred embodiment of the invention in VTOLmode.

FIG. 17A is the side view of the third preferred embodiment of theinvention, and FIG. 17B is a horizontal cross-section of the same thirdembodiment in VTOL mode.

FIG. 18A is the front view of the third preferred embodiment of theFlyCar aircraft invention, with FIG. 18B showing a verticalcross-section of the same third embodiment of the invention in VTOLmode.

FIGS. 19A, 19B, 19C, and 19D are the side view, top view, back view andfront view of the third preferred embodiment of the invention inhigh-speed flying mode.

FIG. 20A is the front view of the third preferred embodiment of theinvention, and FIG. 20B is a vertical cross-section of the same thirdembodiment in high-speed flying mode.

FIG. 21A is the side operational view of the third preferred embodimentof the FlyCar invention during VTOL mode, with FIG. 21B showing the sideoperational view during the high-speed flying mode for the thirdpreferred embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 22A, 22B, 22C and 22D are the side view, top view, back view andfront view of the fourth preferred embodiment of the invention in VTOLmode.

FIG. 23A is the side view of the fourth preferred embodiment of theinvention, and FIG. 23B is a horizontal cross-section of the same fourtembodiment in VTOL mode.

FIG. 24A is the front view of the fourth preferred embodiment of theFlyCar aircraft invention, with FIG. 24B showing a verticalcross-section of the same fourth embodiment of the invention in VTOLmode.

FIG. 25A is the side operational view of the fourth preferred embodimentof the FlyCar invention during VTOL mode, with FIG. 25B showing the sideoperational view during the high-speed flying mode for the fourthpreferred embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 26A, 26B, 26C, and 26D are the side view, top view, back view andfront view of the fourth preferred embodiment of the invention inhigh-speed flying mode.

FIG. 27A is the front view of the fourth preferred embodiment of theinvention, and FIG. 27B is a vertical cross-section of the same fourthembodiment in high-speed flying mode.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is understood that the present invention is not limited to thepreferred embodiments herein described and it is covering all thepossible variations that may be derived by those skilled in the field.These examples are presented solely for context purpose, for helping inthe understanding of the described preferred embodiments. It will beapparent to one skilled in the art that the described embodiments may bepracticed without some or all of these specific details. In otherinstances, well known process steps and details have not been fullydescribed in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the describedembodiments. Other applications are possible, such that the followingexamples should not be taken as limiting.

In the following detailed description, references are made to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of the description and in whichare shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in accordancewith the described embodiments. Although these embodiments are describedin sufficient detail to enable one skilled in the art to practice thedescribed embodiments, it is understood that these examples are notlimiting; such that other embodiments may be used, and changes may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the describedembodiments.

The present application discloses a compact aircraft, with limitedfootprint and no exposed high-speed moving parts, with an aerodynamicwing-like body profile (FlyCar), that can vertically takeoff and land,similar with an helicopter, and then cruise at high-speed in an airplanelike way.

The herein first preferred embodiment is a compact aircraft, where asdepicted in FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D, a multi-propulsion system 52 isbuilt inside the aircraft lifting-body 51, with a preferable four suchindependent systems placed in a Front-left 52A, Front-right 52B,Back-left 52C and Back-right 52D configuration (FIG. 7B), in such waythat the main cabin 53 in central area of the body 51 is dedicated tothe passengers and pay-load. In embodiments, multi-propulsion system 52may be completely housed within body 51, such that no wings orpropellers extend from body 51.

The said aircraft body 51 has attached at least one flap 30 and at leasttwo flaperons 31 at the rear side (left flaperon 31A and right flaperon31B), as show in FIG. 10 . The said flap 30 and flaperons 31 can beindependently retracted or expanded depending on the flying modes, forthe purpose of controlling the total lift surface and its effectivechord 39, and for controlling the Pitch, Roll and Yaw of the aircraft,as know in prior art.

In the first preferred embodiment of the invention the propulsion system52 is comprised of ducted fans 5 with tilting capability, as describedin FIGS. 4A, B, C and D. The said ducted fan 5 is comprised of apropeller 6 with two or more blades 8, propeller 6 that is mountedinside a cylindrical duct 7, as known in prior art, and it is connectedto its electrical motor 9 by means of the rod 11 that also carriesinternally the electrical power cables that provide power and control tothe said electrical motor 9. The said rod 11 is continued to the outsideon both sides of the ducted cylindrical body 7 by the axel 10, which isused for mounting the ducted fan 5 to the inner side of the aircraftbody 51, providing also the capability of tilting (rotate on horizontalaxes of axel 10) of the said ducted fan 5.

It is the preferred implementation of the herein first embodiment of theinvention, but not limited to, that the four propulsion systems 52comprised of ducted fans 5 are placed inside of, and encompassed by, theaircraft body 51 by means of the axel 10 in the cavities 32 of the body(FIG. 7B—horizontal cross-section of a lower portion of body 51, andFIG. 8B—vertical cross-section of the left side of body 51), such that52A system is in front-left cavity 32A and its fan 5 propeller rotatesclock-wise, 52B system is in front-right cavity 32B and its fanpropeller rotates counter clock-wise, 52C system is in back-left cavity32C and its fan propeller rotates clock-wise, and 52D system is inback-right cavity 32D and its fan propeller rotates counter clock-wise(FIG. 7B), and in such way that the main cabin 53 is placed in thecentral area of the aircraft body 51. It is understood that in astead-state operation the sum of all angular momentums of propulsionsystems 52 can be zero, creating a stable flight.

It is the preferred implementation of the present invention that each ofthe internal cavities 32 are corresponding to slots in the upper side ofthe lifting-body 51 and openings for the bottom side of the body 51,such as front-left cavity 32A is facing top side slots 33A and bottomopening 34A, front-right cavity 32B is facing top side slots 33B andbottom opening 34B, back-left cavity 32C is facing top side slots 33Cand bottom opening 34C, and back-right cavity 32D is facing top sideslots 33D and bottom opening 34D (FIGS. 6 , FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 ).

Furthermore the said cavities 32, top side slots 33 and bottom sideopenings 34 are having the placement and shape to facilitate both amainly vertical flow of exhaust air and vertical trust D when thepropulsion systems 52 are in vertical position for VTOL operation mode(FIG. 8B and FIG. 9A) and a mainly horizontal exhaust air flow forhorizontal thrust T when the propulsion systems 52 are tilted in mainlyhorizontal position for high-speed cruising operation mode (FIG. 9B andFIG. 11B).

It is understood that the main traveling mode of the aircraft isforward-moving; therefore the cabin 53 shape is tailored to acorresponding aerodynamic shape of body 51, being placed in a centralarea of the said body 51 and corresponding to the highest verticalprofile of the aircraft body 51, in order the maximize the pay-loadvolume capability. As shown in FIGS. 6 , FIG. 7 and FIGS. 8 , the cabin53 is comprised, but not limited to, by at least one front windshield35, at least one access door 36, and at least one side-window 37, wherethe said windshield 35, access door 36 and side-window 37 are part ofthe aerodynamic lifting-body 51. As shown in FIGS. 8 , the herein maincabin 53 is further comprised by a shell 38 that is internal to the body51 and delimits the cabin area from the propulsion systems 52. The saidshell 38 has such a shape for its front lower side 38A that facilitatesa easy non-turbulent air flow when the front systems 34A and 34B aregenerating trust in the main horizontal direction. Cabin 53 iscontaining at least passenger seats, control board and storage area,with the ergonomically features covering all the possible variationsthat may be derived by those skilled in the field.

It is understood that for the subject of the invention the fourpropulsion systems 52 can be controlled independently in respect ofthrust level (propellers 6 RPM) and thrust direction and that incombination with the deployment of the flap 30 and flaplerons 31 canproduce two main operation modes for the FlyCar aircraft, VTOL mode 40(as described in FIGS. 6 , FIG. 7 , FIGS. 8 and FIG. 9A) and high-speedcruising mode 41 (as described in FIG. 9B, FIGS. 10 , FIG. 11 and FIG.12 ). However the invention is not limited to these two operation modes,covering any practical combination that may be derived by those skilledin the field.

The said VTOL operation mode 40 is obtained by maintaining the thrust ofpropulsion system 52 in vertical direction, such that the generatedthrust D is mainly vertical, creating direct lift L, as shown in FIGS. 7, FIG. 8 and FIG. 9A. The said VTOL operation mode 40 is also defined,but not limited to, by the flap 30 being in retracted position inside ofthe body 51 and the flaperons 31 being retracted in mainly verticalposition, minimizing the overall footprint of the aircraft, as detailedin FIG. 8B.

The herein VTOL mode 40 of the first preferred embodiment of inventionis obtaining aircraft takeoff, landing and small speed movement(hovering) by creating lift L from the vertical thrust D of the fourpropulsions systems 52 (FIG. 9A), whose operation is facilitated by thetop side slots 33 and bottom side openings 34, and it is obtainingcontrol of the Pitch, Roll and Yaw of the aircraft by independentlyadjusting the thrust (fan RPM) of the said systems 52A, 52B, 52C and52D, in quad-copter manner, as know in prior art.

The said high-speed flying operation mode 41 of the FlyCar aircraft isobtained by maintaining the thrust of propulsion system 52 in mainlyhorizontal direction, such that the generated thrust T is horizontal,creating indirect direct lift L from the high-speed movement V of theaircraft lift-body 51, that results in an effective down-push D of thesurrounding fluid, as shown in FIG. 9B, FIG. 10 , FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 .The said high-speed flying mode 41 is also defined, but not limited to,by the flap 30 being in extended position outside of the body 51 and theflaperons 31 being extended in mainly horizontal position, maximizingthe overall footprint of the aircraft and wing-like shape of theaircraft lifting-body 51, as detailed in FIG. 11B (verticalcross-section of left side of the body 51).

The herein high-speed flying operation mode 41 for the aircraft of thefirst embodiment of invention is maintaining high-speed horizontalmovement (cruising) by generating the velocity V of aircraft from themainly horizontal thrust T of the four propulsions systems 52 (FIG. 9B,FIG. 12 ), whose operation is enhanced by controlling the up-wash airflow on top-front side of the aircraft body 51 and the downwash flow ofthe top-end side of the aircraft body 51 by means of slots 33 on topside and bottom side openings 34. The operation mode 41 is obtainingcontrol of the Pitch, Roll and Yaw of the aircraft by independentlyadjusting the thrust (and RPM) of the said systems 52A, 52B, 52C and52D, and by independently adjusting the area and the angles of the flap30 and flaperons 31. It is understood that during high-speed operationmode 41 the control of the aircraft Pitch is critical to optimize theamount of lift L, control obtained by means of adjusting of theeffective angle of attack a of the said aircraft body 51, angle ofattack defined by the direction of movement V of the aircraft and itsbody effective chord 39 direction, in a similar manner to the wing pitchcontrol of an airplane (FIG. 12 ).

It is understood and covered by the herein invention that the FlyCaraircraft can transition between the two said main operation modes 40 and41, with any practical combinations that may be derived by those skilledin the field.

In the second preferred embodiments of the invention, capability foron-land and on-water movement is added to the FlyCar aircraft of firstpreferred embodiment by the addition of a retractable hovercraft skirt50 (FIGS. 13 , FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 ), where the general functionality ofthe flexible skirt is known in prior art. While not limited to theparticular implementation herein described, the second embodiment of theFlyCar invention is comprised by the first embodiment of the inventionand an retractable flexible skirt 50 that is attached to the body 51 onthe bottom side of the said body 51, where said skirt 50 is extendingfrom the front edge of the body 51, on the side edges of the body 51,under the front-left cavity 32A and front-right cavity 32B, andcontinuing under the main cabin 53, and ending at the limit betweencabin shell 38 and the back cavities 32C and 32D, which contain the backpropulsion systems 52C and 52D, in such way that it creates a closedarea between the lower side of the body 51 and the land or watersurface, on which the said body 51 sits, and the mass center M of theaircraft body 51 is well inside of the footprint of the said skirt 50(FIG. 14B—detailed vertical cross-section of left side of secondembodiment).

It is the intention of herein second embodiment of the invention that ahovercraft amphibious mode of operation 42 is realized when the aircraftFlyCar is on land or water by using the front propulsion systems 52A and52B to create an air cushion contained by the 50 while the said frontpropulsion systems are operating in mainly vertical position, aircushion that has a pressure Pc above the atmospheric pressure Pa (FIG.14B and FIG. 15 ), as described by equation (7) Pc>Pa. The saidamphibious mode 42 is characterized by using the back propulsion systems52C and 52D in mainly horizontal position to generate a horizontal trustT for forward movement V, and by extending the flaperons 31 in a mainlyhorizontal position.

It is understood that the main traveling direction for amphibious mode42 is forward-moving with the overall movement speed V being determinedby the amount of total thrust delivered by the back-side propulsionsystems 52C and 52D, and that the steering at low-speed movement isachieved by independently controlling the thrust of front propulsionsystems 52A and 52B (fan RPM), creating a non-zero angular moment, andthat the steering at high-speed movement is achieved by independentlycontrolling the thrust of propulsion systems 52C and 52D—turning to leftby increasing 52D thrust versus 52C and turning to right by increasing52C thrust versus 52D thrust.

It is understood and covered by the herein second embodiment that theFlyCar aircraft can transition between the said main operation modes 40,41 and 42, by deploying or retracting the flexible skirt 50, changingindependently thrust level and thrust direction for all propulsionsystems 52 and by extending, retracting and controlling the angles forthe flap 30 and flaperons 31, with any practical combinations that maybe derived by those skilled in the field.

By making use of the same propulsion system of the FlyCar, travelcapabilities of a hovercraft for road, off-road and water are combinedwith the airborne power of the aircraft. As a result, an all-mediumvehicle is achieved, with land, water and air transportation capabilityfor both low and high-speed movement.

In the third preferred embodiment of herein invention, the propulsionsystem is comprised of blowers 12 (centrifugal fan) with tiltingcapability, as described in FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C. As known in prior art,the blower 12 is comprised of housing 13 that has intake openings 14 onboth lateral sides and a single exit opening 15 at the housing 13extremity, where the orientation of the said exit opening 15 controlsthe direction of the thrust T generated by the blower 12. The hereinblower 12 is further comprised by a centrifugal cylindrical cage 16 thatholds the impellers 17, and where the cage 16 can rotate on its axes 18.

The said cage 16 is connected by the spokes 19 to the electrical motor20, through its driving shaft 21, which is aligned with the axes 18 ofthe cage 16. Is the embodiment of the present invention that the housing13 can rotate (tilt) on the axes 18 of the motor 20 and cage 16 assembleby means of the housing intake extensions 22, such that the cage 16 andmotor 20 are remaining fix on their axes and steady in rapport to andexternal reference, and the resulting blower trust T can be controlledfrom a vertical direction (FIG. 5B) to an horizontal direction (FIG. 5C)by the angular position of housing 13 and its exit opening 15.

As depicted in the third preferred embodiment of the invention (FIGS.16A, 16B, 16C and 16D), a multi-propulsion system 52 is built inside theaircraft lifting-body 51, with a preferable four such independentsystems placed in a Front-left 52A, Front-right 52B, Back-left 52C andBack-right 52D configuration (FIG. 17B), in such way that the main cabin53 in central area of the body 51 is dedicated to the passengers andpay-load.

The herein aircraft body 51 has attached at least one flap 30 and atleast two flaperons 31 at the rear side (left flaperon 31A and rightflaperon 31B), as show in FIG. 20 . The said flap 30 and flaperons 31can be independently retracted or expanded depending on the flyingmodes, for the purpose of controlling the total lift surface and thePitch, Roll and Yaw of the aircraft, as know in prior art.

It is the preferred implementation of the herein third embodiment of theinvention, but not limited to, that the four propulsion systems 52comprised of blowers 12 are placed inside of the aircraft body 51 bymeans of the housing intake extensions 22 in the cavities 54 of the body(FIG. 17B—horizontal cross-section, and FIG. 18B—vertical cross-sectionof the left side of body 51), such that 52A system is in front-leftcavity 54A and its blower cage rotates clock-wise, 52B system is infront-right cavity 54B and its blower cage rotates counter clock-wise,52C system is in back-left cavity 54C and its blower cage rotatesclock-wise, and 52D system is in back-right cavity 54D and its blowercage rotates counter clock-wise (FIG. 17B), and in such way that themain cabin 53 is placed in the central area of the aircraft body 51. Itis understood that in a stead-state operation the sum of all angularmomentums of propulsion systems 52 can be zero, creating a stableflight.

It is the preferred implementation of the present invention that each ofthe internal cavities 54 are corresponding to slots in the upper side ofthe lifting-body 51 and openings for the bottom side of the body 51,such as front-left cavity 54A is facing top side slots 33A and bottomopening 34A, front-right cavity 54B is facing top side slots 33B andbottom opening 34B, back-left cavity 54C is facing top side slots 33Cand bottom opening 34C, and back-right cavity 54D is facing top sideslots 33D and bottom opening 34D (FIGS. 16 , FIGS. 77 and FIG. 18 ).

Furthermore the said cavities 54, top side slots 33 and bottom sideopenings 34 are having the placement and shape to facilitate both amainly vertical flow of exhaust air and vertical trust D when thepropulsion systems 52 have exit openings 15 in vertical position forVTOL operation mode (FIG. 18B and FIG. 21A) and a mainly horizontalexhaust air flow for horizontal thrust T when the propulsion systems 52have exit openings 15 tilted in horizontal position for high-speedcruising operation mode (FIG. 20B and FIG. 21B), with the air flow beinghelped by the shape of 38A shell for front propulsion and the shape ofthe rear body part 70 for the back propulsion.

It is understood that the main traveling mode of the aircraft isforward-moving; therefore the cabin 53 shape is tailored to acorresponding aerodynamic shape of body 51, being placed in a centralarea of the said body 51 and corresponding to the highest verticalprofile of the aircraft body 51, in order the maximize the pay-loadvolume capability. The cabin 53 is comprised, but not limited to, by atleast one front windshield 35, at least one access door 36, and at leastone side-window 37, where the said windshield 35, access door 36 andside-window 37 are part of the aerodynamic lifting-body 51. The hereinmain cabin 53 is further comprised by a shell 38 that is internal to thebody 51 and delimits the cabin area from the propulsion systems 52,where the said shell 38 has such a shape for its front lower side 38Athat facilitates an easy non-turbulent air flow when the front systems34A and 34B are generating trust in the main horizontal direction. Thesaid cabin 53 is containing at least passenger seats, control board andstorage area, with the ergonomically features covering all the possiblevariations that may be derived by those skilled in the field.

It is understood that for the subject of the invention the fourpropulsion systems 52 can be controlled independently in respect ofthrust level and thrust direction and that in combination with thedeployment of the flap 30 and flaplerons 31 can produce two mainoperation modes for the FlyCar aircraft, VTOL mode 40 (as described inFIGS. 16 , FIG. 17 , FIGS. 18 and FIG. 21A) and high-speed cruising mode41 (as described in FIGS. 19 , FIG. 20 , and FIG. 21B). However thethird embodiment of herein invention is not limited to these twooperation modes, covering any practical combination that may be derivedby those skilled in the field.

The said VTOL operation mode 40 is obtained by maintaining the thrust ofpropulsion systems 52 in vertical direction, such that the generatedthrust D is mainly vertical, creating direct lift L, as shown in FIGS.17 , FIG. 18 and FIG. 21A. The said VTOL operation mode 40 is alsodefined, but not limited to, by the flap 30 being in retracted positioninside of the body 51 and the flaperons 31 being retracted in mainlyvertical position, minimizing the overall footprint of the aircraft, asdetailed in FIG. 18B.

The herein VTOL mode 40 of the third embodiment of invention isobtaining aircraft takeoff, landing and small speed movement (hovering)by creating lift L from the vertical thrust D of the four propulsionssystems 52 (FIG. 21A), whose operation is facilitated by the top sideslots 33 and bottom side openings 34, and it is obtaining control of thePitch, Roll and Yaw of the aircraft by independently adjusting thethrust of the said propulsion systems 52A, 52B, 52C and 52D.

The said high-speed flying operation mode 41 of the FlyCar aircraftthird embodiment is obtained by maintaining the exit openings 15 ofpropulsion systems 52 in mainly horizontal direction, such that thegenerated thrust T is horizontal, creating indirect direct lift L fromthe high-speed movement V of the aircraft lifting-body 51, as shown inFIGS. 19 , FIG. 20 , FIG. 21B. The said high-speed flying mode 41 isalso defined, but not limited to, by the flap 30 being in extendedposition outside of the body 51 and the flaperons 31 being extended inmainly horizontal position, maximizing the overall footprint of theaircraft and wing-like shape of the aircraft lifting-body 51, asdetailed in FIG. 20B (vertical cross-section of left side of the thirdembodiment).

The herein high-speed flying operation mode 41 of the third embodimentof invention is obtaining high-speed horizontal movement (cruising) bygenerating velocity V of aircraft from the mainly horizontal thrust T ofthe four propulsions systems 52 (FIG. 21B), whose operation is enhancedby controlling the up-wash air flow on top-front side of the aircraftbody 51 and the downwash flow of the top-end side of the aircraft body51 by means of slots 33 on top side and bottom side openings 34. Theoperation mode 41 is obtaining control of the Pitch, Roll and Yaw of theaircraft by independently adjusting the thrust of the said systems 52A,52B, 52C and 52D, and by independently adjusting the area and the anglesof the flap 30 and flaperons 31. It is understood that during high-speedoperation mode 41 the control of the aircraft Pitch is critical tooptimize the amount of lift L of the aircraft through adjustment of theeffective angle of attack a of the said aircraft body 51, similar to thewing pitch control of an airplane.

It is understood and covered by the herein invention that the FlyCaraircraft of third preferred embodiment can transition between the twosaid main operation modes 40 and 41, with any practical combinationsthat may be derived by those skilled in the field.

In the fourth preferred embodiment of herein invention, the propulsionsystems 52 are each comprised of one propeller 61 connected to one motor62, as known in prior art, with fix positioning inside cavities 64 at apreferable 45° angle versus the aircraft body, and a series of vanes 63that can change the thrust direction from vertical to horizontaldirection, as described in FIG. 23B, and FIG. 24B.

As depicted in the fourth preferred embodiment of the invention (FIGS.22 , FIG. 23 , and FIG. 24 ), a multi-propulsion system 52 is builtinside the aircraft lifting-body 51, with a preferable four suchindependent systems placed in a Front-left 52A, Front-right 52B,Back-left 52C and Back-right 52D configuration (FIG. 23B), in such waythat the main cabin 53 in central area of the body 51 is dedicated tothe passengers and pay-load.

The herein aircraft body 51 has attached at least one flap 30 and atleast two flaperons 31 at the rear side (left flaperon 31A and rightflaperon 31B), as show in FIG. 26 . The said flap 30 and flaperons 31can be independently retracted or expanded depending on the flyingmodes, for the purpose of controlling the total lift surface and thePitch, Roll and Yaw of the aircraft, as know in prior art.

It is the preferred implementation of the herein fourth embodiment ofthe invention, but not limited to, that the four propulsion systems 52comprised of propellers 61, motors 62 and vanes 63 are placed inside ofthe aircraft body 51 in the cavities 64 of the body (FIG. 23B—horizontalcross-section, and FIG. 24B—vertical cross-section of the left side ofbody 51), such that 52A system is in front-left cavity 64A and itspropeller 61A rotates clock-wise, 52B system is in front-right cavity64B and its propeller 61B rotates counter clock-wise, 52C system is inback-left cavity 64C and its propeller 61C rotates clock-wise, and 52Dsystem is in back-right cavity 64D and its propeller 61D rotates counterclock-wise (FIG. 23B), and in such way that the main cabin 53 is placedin the central area of the aircraft body 51. It is understood that in asteady-state operation the sum of all angular momentums of propulsionsystems 52 can be zero, creating a stable flight.

It is the preferred implementation of the present invention that each ofthe internal cavities 64 are corresponding to slots in the upper side ofthe lifting-body 51 and openings for the bottom side of the body 51,such as front-left cavity 64A is facing top side slots 33A and bottomopening 34A, front-right cavity 64B is facing top side slots 33B andbottom opening 34B, back-left cavity 64C is facing top side slots 33Cand bottom opening 34C, and back-right cavity 64D is facing top sideslots 33D and bottom opening 34D (FIGS. 22 , FIG. 23 and FIG. 24 ).

Furthermore the said cavities 64, top side slots 33 and bottom sideopenings 34 are having the placement and shape to facilitate both amainly vertical flow of exhaust air and vertical trust D when thepropulsion systems 52 have the vanes 63 in vertical position for VTOLoperation mode (FIG. 24B and FIG. 25A) and a mainly horizontal exhaustair flow for horizontal thrust T when the propulsion systems 52 have thevanes 63 tilted in mainly horizontal position for high-speed cruisingoperation mode (FIG. 25B and FIG. 27B).

It is understood that the main traveling mode of the aircraft isforward-moving; therefore the cabin 53 shape is tailored to acorresponding aerodynamic shape of body 51, being placed in a centralarea of the said body 51 and corresponding to the highest verticalprofile of the aircraft body 51, in order the maximize the pay-loadvolume capability. The cabin 53 is comprised, but not limited to, by atleast one front windshield 35, at least one access door 36, and at leastone side-window 37, where the said windshield 35, access door 36 andside-window 37 are part of the aerodynamic lifting-body 51. The hereinmain cabin 53 is further comprised by a shell 38 that is internal to thebody 51, and delimits the cabin area from the propulsion systems 52,where the said shell 38 has such a shape for its front lower side 38Athat facilitates a easy non-turbulent air flow when the front systems34A and 34B are generating trust in the main horizontal direction. Cabin53 is containing at least passenger seats, control board and storagearea, with the ergonomically features covering all the possiblevariations that may be derived by those skilled in the field.

It is understood that for the subject of the invention the fourpropulsion systems 52 can be controlled independently in respect ofthrust level and that the their vanes 63 control the thrust direction,and that in combination with the deployment of the flap 30 andflaplerons 31 can produce two main operation modes for the FlyCaraircraft, VTOL mode 40 (as described in FIGS. 22 , FIG. 23 , FIGS. 24and FIG. 25A) and high-speed cruising mode 41 (as described in FIGS. 26, FIG. 27 , and FIG. 25B). However the fourth embodiment of hereininvention is not limited to these two operation modes, covering anypractical combination that may be derived by those skilled in the field.

The said VTOL operation mode 40 is obtained by maintaining the thrust ofpropulsion systems 52 in vertical direction by means of vanes 63, suchthat the generated thrust D is mainly vertical, creating direct lift L,as shown in FIGS. 23 , FIG. 24 and FIG. 25A. The said VTOL operationmode 40 is also defined, but not limited to, by the flap 30 being inretracted position inside of the body 51 and the flaperons 31 beingretracted in mainly vertical position, minimizing the overall footprintof the aircraft, as detailed in FIG. 24B.

The herein VTOL mode 40 of the fourth embodiment of invention isobtaining aircraft takeoff, landing and small speed movement (hovering)by creating lift L from the vertical thrust D of the four propulsionssystems 52 (FIG. 25A), whose operation is facilitated by the top sideslots 33 and bottom side openings 34, and it is obtaining control of thePitch, Roll and Yaw of the aircraft by independently adjusting thethrust of the said systems 52A, 52B, 52C and 52D and adjusting theposition of vanes 63A, 63B, 63C and 63D.

The said high-speed flying operation mode 41 of the FlyCar aircraftfourth embodiment is obtained by maintaining the vanes 63 of propulsionsystems 52 in mainly horizontal direction, such that the generatedthrust T is horizontal, creating indirect lift L from the high-speedmovement V of the aircraft lifting-body 51, as shown in FIG. 25B, FIG.26 , and FIG. 27B. The said high-speed flying mode 41 is also defined,but not limited to, by the flap 30 being in extended position outside ofthe body 51 and the flaperons 31 being extended in mainly horizontalposition, maximizing the overall footprint of the aircraft and wing-likeshape of the aircraft lifting-body 51, as detailed in FIG. 27B (verticalcross-section of left side of the fourth embodiment).

The herein high-speed flying operation mode 41 of the fouth embodimentof invention is obtaining high-speed horizontal movement (cruising) bygenerating velocity V of aircraft from the mainly horizontal thrust T ofthe four propulsions systems 52 (FIG. 25B), whose operation is enhancedby controlling the up-wash air flow on top-front side of the aircraftbody 51 and the downwash flow of the top-end side of the aircraft body51 by means of slots 33 on top side and bottom side openings 34,reducing the drag force and the air turbulence. The operation mode 41 isobtaining control of the Pitch, Roll and Yaw of the aircraft byindependently adjusting the thrust of the said systems 52A, 52B, 52C and52D, and by independently adjusting the area and the angles of the flap30 and flaperons 31. It is understood that during high-speed operationmode 41 the control of the aircraft Pitch is critical to optimize theamount of lift L of the aircraft through adjustment of the effectiveangle of attack a of the said aircraft body 51, similar to the wingpitch control of an airplane (FIG. 25B).

It is understood and covered by the herein invention that the FlyCaraircraft of fouth embodiment can transition between the two said mainoperation modes 40 and 41, with any practical combinations that may bederived by those skilled in the field.

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specificnomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the describedembodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art thatthe specific details are not required in order to practice the describedembodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodimentsare presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the described embodiments to theprecise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill inthe art that many modifications and variations are possible in view ofthe above descriptions.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A vehicle capable of a vertical takeoff anda vertical landing, comprising: a body with a front end, a cabin, and aback end; a first air flow path positioned within a first cavity, thefirst air flow path extending from an upper surface of the body to alower surface of the body; a first propulsion system positioned withinthe first cavity, the first propulsion system including a first fanpropeller, the first propulsion system being configured to rotate abouta first axle to change a first thrust direction of the first propulsionsystem from a vertical direction to a horizontal direction, the firstaxle extending along a lateral axis of the vehicle within the firstcavity, wherein rotation of the first propulsion system is containedbelow the upper surface of the body and an upper surface of the firstcavity, wherein the rotation of the first propulsion system around thelateral axle axis of the vehicle changes a first relative angle betweenthe first fan propeller and the upper surface of the first cavity; asecond air flow path positioned within a second cavity, the second airflow path extending from the upper surface of the body to the lowersurface of the body; a second propulsion system positioned within thesecond cavity, the second propulsion system including a second fanpropeller, the second propulsion system being configured to rotate abouta second axle to change a second thrust direction of the secondpropulsion system from the vertical direction to the horizontaldirection, the second axle extending along the lateral axis of thevehicle within the second cavity, wherein the rotation of the secondpropulsion system around the lateral axle axis of the vehicle changes asecond relative angle between the second fan propeller and the uppersurface of the second cavity.
 2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein thefront end of the body includes a first angled surface and a secondangled surface, the first angled surface having a larger incline thanthe second angled surface.
 3. The vehicle of claim 2, further including:a first set of slots that are shaped to control air flowing through thefirst air path to control vertical flow of exhaust air and verticalthrust when the first propulsion system is in a first mode, and ahorizontal exhaust air flow for horizontal thrust when the firstpropulsion system is in a second mode, wherein the first set of slotsconform to an angularity of the first angled surface and the secondangled surface, the first set of slots extending through the firstangled surface and portions of the second angled surface.
 4. The vehicleof claim 3, where the front end includes a third angled surface, whereinan incline of the third angled surface is larger than that of the firstangled surface and the second angled surface.
 5. The vehicle of claim 4,wherein the first set of slots does not extend through the third angledsurface.
 6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first propulsion systemis configured to rotate about the lateral axle axis of the vehicleindependently from the second propulsion system rotating about thelateral axis of the vehicle.
 7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein thefirst cavity is positioned between the cabin and the front end, and thesecond cavity is positioned between the cabin and the back end.
 8. Thevehicle of claim 7, wherein the first propulsion system is configured torotate its thrust at least ninety degrees around an axle whilepositioned within the first cavity.
 9. The vehicle of claim 1, furtherincluding: a retractable hovercraft skirt extending from the front endtowards the back end, wherein a distal end of a top surface of theretractable hovercraft skirt ends before the second cavity to position acenter of mass of the vehicle with a footprint of the retractablehovercraft skirt.
 10. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: a flappositioned on the back end of the vehicle configured to control a totallift surface of the vehicle, wherein the flap includes two flaperonsthat are configured to be independently retracted and expanded, whereinwhen the two flaperons are expanded an upper surface of the backend andan upper surface of the two flaperons have a same downward angle, and alength of the vehicle increases when the two flaperons are expanded. 11.A method associated with a vehicle capable of a vertical takeoff and avertical landing, comprising: forming a first air flow path positionedwithin a first cavity, the first air flow path extending from an uppersurface of a body of the vehicle to a lower surface of the body;positioning a first propulsion system within the first cavity, the firstpropulsion system including a first fan propeller, wherein rotation ofthe first propulsion system is contained below the upper surface of thebody and an upper surface of the first cavity; forming a second air flowpath positioned within a second cavity, the second air flow pathextending from the upper surface of the body to the lower surface of thebody; positioning a second propulsion system within the second cavity,the second propulsion system including a second fan propeller, rotatingthe first propulsion system about a first axle to change a first thrustdirection of the first propulsion system from a vertical direction to ahorizontal direction, the first axle extending along a lateral axis ofthe vehicle within the first cavity, wherein the rotation of the firstpropulsion system around the lateral axle axis of the vehicle changes afirst relative angle between the first fan propeller and the uppersurface of the first cavity; rotating the second propulsion system abouta second axle to change a second thrust direction of the secondpropulsion system from the vertical direction to the horizontaldirection, the second axle extending along the lateral axis of thevehicle within the second cavity, wherein the rotation of the secondpropulsion system around the lateral axle axis of the vehicle changes asecond relative angle between the second fan propeller and the uppersurface of the second cavity.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein afront end of the body includes a first angled surface and a secondangled surface, the first angled surface having a larger incline thanthe second angled surface.
 13. The method of claim 12, furtherincluding: forming a first set of slots that are shaped to control airflowing through the first air path to control vertical flow of exhaustair and vertical trust when the first propulsion system is in a firstmode, and a horizontal exhaust air flow for horizontal thrust when thefirst propulsion system is in a second mode, wherein the first set ofslots conform to an angularity of the first angled surface and thesecond angles surface, the first set of slots extending through thefirst angled surface and portions of the second angled surface.
 14. Themethod of claim 13, where the front end includes a third angled surface,the third angled surface, wherein an incline of the third angled surfaceis larger than that of the first angled surface and the second angledsurface.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first set of slots doesnot extend through the third angled surface.
 16. The method of claim 11,wherein the rotation of the first propulsion system about the lateralaxle axis of the vehicle is independent from rotation of the secondpropulsion system rotating about the lateral axis of the vehicle. 17.The method of claim 16, wherein the first cavity is positioned between acabin and a front end, and the second cavity is positioned between thecabin and a back end of the vehicle.
 18. The method of claim 17, furthercomprising: rotating a thrust of the first propulsion system at leastninety degrees around an axle while positioned within the first cavity.19. The method of claim 11, further including: extending a retractablehovercraft skirt from a front end towards aback end, wherein a distalend of a top surface of the retractable hovercraft skirt ends before thesecond cavity to position a center of mass of the vehicle with afootprint of the retractable hovercraft skirt.
 20. The method of claim11, further comprising: positioning a flap on the back end of thevehicle configured to control a total lift surface of the vehicle,wherein the flap includes two flaperons that are configured to beindependently retracted and expanded, wherein when the two flaperons areexpanded an upper surface of the backend and an upper surface of the twoflaperons have a same downward angle, and a length of the vehicleincreases when the two flaperons are expanded.